ARB settles with Pep Boys for
$170,000 for emissions violationsRetail
chain sold non-compliant vehicles and equipment

SACRAMENTO
– The Air Resources Board settled several enforcement actions with Pep
Boys Auto for $170,000 last month for selling non-compliant vehicles
and generators.

In California, all new on-road and
off-road vehicles and engines sold or offered for sale must be
certified to meet strict emissions standards. The
Philadelphia,
PA based Pep Boys offered for sale and sold several motorized scooters,
generators, and one all-terrain vehicle that did not carry the correct
certification.

“California businesses that don’t abide by
the law unfairly undermine their competitors by creating an unlevel
playing field,” said ARB Enforcement Chief Jim Ryden. “The
Air
Resources Board enforcement team works exceptionally hard to uncover
non-compliant products before they are sold and begin producing
excessive emissions of health-threatening pollutants.”

In
California, it is required for vehicles and equipment to display
appropriate emission control labels that certify compliance with the
State’s vehicle/engine emission standards. In these cases,
the
manufacturers of the motorized scooters had applied for the appropriate
certification, but Pep Boys made these products available for sale (and
sold several units) prior to final authorization.

Unlike
the scooters, the generators in question had never applied for
certification, did not meet California’s emissions standards, and were
illegal for sale in the state.

The
Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental
Protection Agency. ARB’s mission is to promote and protect
public
health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction
of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the
economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts
in
California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

The Air Resources
Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection
Agency. ARB’s mission is to promote and protect public
health,
welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air
pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the
economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts
in
California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.